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Pathfinder Puzzle

Become a part of history through the Space Shuttle Pathfinder Puzzle program.

Spaceline Supporters

Claim your spot in Rocket Part by naming a support beam for one of the 5 historic rockets.

Take a Seat

Add your name or the name of a loved one to a bench or auditorium chair with the Take a Seat program.

Space Shuttle Pathfinder

One of the iconic images at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Space Camp, the Pathfinder Shuttle Stack showcases the advancement of space exploration during the shuttle era. After years of weathering the elements, the Pathfinder is need of restoration and repair for safety and to restore this test article from the shuttle flight era.

Mission Stats

Space Shuttle Pathfinder performed an important role in advancing space flight during the shuttle era. It allowed for facilities testing of an article the same size as an Orbiter to stand in for Enterprise and helped work out procedures for handling and moving a shuttle. The America-Japan Society, Inc., bought the article and hired Teledyne Brown Engineering to configure it to more closely resemble a shuttle for exposition at the Great Space Shuttle Exposition in Tokyo in 1983.

Pathfinder’s new skin is made of more than 500 3D printed panels that have been painted to look like a real space shuttle orbiter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to the questions most visitors have.
Don’t see an answer to your question? Ask us at [email protected]

What is Pathfinder?

The Pathfinder is a one-of-a-kind testing artifact created to develop procedures for moving and handling the space shuttle orbiters. Also known as Orbital Vehicle-098, the artifact is a steel structure roughly the size, weight and shape of an orbiter. Constructed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in 1977, the article, later named Pathfinder, was used as a stand-in for the first orbiter, Enterprise (OV-101), to test roads and cranes. It was shipped by barge to Kennedy Space Center to be used for ground crew testing before returning to Marshall Space Flight Center where it was stored for many years.

A group of Japanese businessmen paid to modify the structure to more closely resemble a real orbiter and displayed it from 1983-1984 at an exposition in Tokyo, Japan. After the expo, Pathfinder returned to Huntsville, Alabama, and has been on permanent display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center since May 1988. It is mounted to the Main Propulsion Test Article (MPTA) External Tank, also an artifact, used for early tanking tests.
Why does the Rocket Center need you?

The Space Shuttle Pathfinder is a reminder that a team with diverse skills and shared passion can achieve big goals, when each participant contributes a portion. You are needed on this team to save an artifact that has inspired millions.

However, you might ask: Isn’t the U.S. Space & Rocket Center federally funded? Great question, and the answer is—no. Though a NASA Visitor Center, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center does not receive funding from NASA for operations or repairs. While the Center is a Commission of the State of Alabama, our state appropriation represents less than five percent of our expenses in a typical year. To undertake major preservation projects, assistance from you and others who are inspired like you is necessary.
Why give online?

The Pathfinder is the test article that paved the way for successful Space Shuttle missions. Working with our online community, a diverse and vast worldwide team of space enthusiasts, helps ensure we can be successful in rescuing this one-of-a-kind artifact.
What goes into preserving the Space Shuttle Pathfinder?

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and industry partners are working to return this icon to Huntsville’s skyline. The Solid Rocket Boosters and the External Tank have been refurbished. The frame, which was part of the facilities check-out mockup for the Space Shuttle program, is built from steel beams and will be repaired before the installation of a 3D-printed covering. The appearance of the refurbished orbiter is patterned on the Space Shuttle Discovery.
Why should we care about the Pathfinder restoration?

The Pathfinder is a test article that paved the way for successful space shuttle missions. It is a reminder that a team with diverse skills and shared passion can achieve big goals, when each participant contributes a portion. The full shuttle stack, the only one of its kind in the world, is also a Huntsville landmark.
How much money does the Rocket Center need to restore the shuttle stack exhibit?

The project is expected to cost $6.1 million.
How much money has already been received for the Pathfinder project?

The project has currently received $4.8 million in funding.

Behind the Scenes

The Pathfinder is a one-of-a-kind test article created to develop procedures for moving and handling the space shuttle orbiters. Also known as Orbital Vehicle-098, the artifact is a steel structure roughly the size, weight, and shape of an orbiter.